Man found dead identified as teacher accused of sexually abusing teenage girl
By Austin Ellis
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DUBUQUE, Iowa (KWWL) — Dubuque Police said the man who died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound Wednesday was a teacher accused of a sexual relationship with a student.
Police attempted to serve an arrest warrant for 24-year-old Trent Paschal, who was a teacher at Thomas Jefferson Middle School. Paschal was alleged to have had a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old student.
Through interviews, police say they learned about inappropriate snapchats between Paschal and the victim. They also learned of two occasions where Paschal picked up the student and engaged in sex acts at his apartment.
Police said traffic cameras and surveillance footage showed Paschal picking up the student up on May 27th, going to his apartment, and leaving the apartment together.
When police attempted to serve the arrest warrant on two counts of third-degree sexual abuse on Wednesday, they heard a single gunshot from the apartment. After attempts from officers to speak with Paschal were unsuccessful, they found him dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Dubuque Community School District shared a statement with KWWL regarding the situation. The district said:
“On Friday, May 31, the Dubuque Community School District received a third-party report of an alleged inappropriate relationship between Trent Paschal and a student. Paschal was a teacher at Jefferson Middle School and Dubuque Online School, and a coach in the district. There is no indication that the alleged inappropriate contact occurred at school. The District immediately began investigating the report using its established protocols, promptly placed the staff member on administrative leave, and engaged law enforcement in the investigation. At that point, the Dubuque Police Department took the lead on the investigation, with the full cooperation of the District.
Central to our work in the Dubuque Community School District is seeking to provide a safe learning environment in which our students can thrive. These allegations were obviously concerning and taken very seriously. On June 12, 2024, the District was notified that when the Dubuque Police Department went to serve the arrest warrant in the matter on Trent Paschal, a self-inflicted gunshot occurred, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. At this time, the District will defer to and fully cooperate with the Dubuque Police Department regarding its handling of this matter.
As a District, we continue to take the allegations very seriously while also recognizing that the loss of life is always tragic.
Our focus now will be on supporting our students and staff through this difficult time, knowing that there may not be answers to many of the questions people may have.
In upcoming days, additional counseling support will be available for those wishing for additional assistance in processing these difficult events. Support will be available at Jefferson on Friday, June 14th from 10:00-11:30 AM for staff and 12:30-2:00 PM for students and families. Additional sessions will follow.”
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